In many applications including optical alignment, surveying, tracking, and pointing, and remote sensing, optical auto collimators are employed to provide a signal indication of the relative alignment of outgoing and return optical and laser beams, and of the relative alignment of optical and other components. The heretofore known laser auto collimators typically employ a collimated laser beam that is directed from one location along an optical path toward a spatially remote, second location. The collimated laser beam is incident upon a mirror or other reflecting surface at the second location, and is reflected therefrom back upon a sensor at the first location that is operative to provide a signal indication of the azimuthal and/or elevational deviation of the return beam from optical null. However, the utility of the known auto collimators is limited by the spatial resolution sensitivity of the sensor, which often presents a material limitation in applications calling for extremely precise alignment. In addition, air convection and other medium phenomenon induce undesirable distortions in both the outgoing and the reflected return beams that can produce erroneous signal indications of relative alignment.